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A twinned structure consisting of two slim residential buildings follows the existing development along the street in urban-planning terms and forms a new urban focus for the Oberstrass cooperative estate. The pair of buildings descends in steps to three storeys at each end and thus links to the scale of the adjoining development. The residential buildings are set back three metres from the street building line and together with a new avenue of trees form a pleasantly broad, boulevard-like street space with continuous shop frontage along its entire length – accommodating not only cafes and shops, but also the cooperative’s business office and the crèche.

A spacious suite consisting of a dining area, a kitchen and an entrance area forms the common focus of each apartment, along a panorama window. From there, the living-room with the adjoining bedrooms extends to the quiet west side, with a view of the city, the lake and the panorama of the Alps. The north building has a sunny, wind-protected common terrace, from which the residents can enjoy fantastic views of the lake and the Alps.

The façades are plastered and are structured with delicate horizontal blind casings of painted metal sheeting. The individuality of each apartment remains legible in the façade. The rhythmic structuring of the façades also suggests a musical score. In this way, the size of the building is given a human scale and a balance is found between the residents’ individuality and the sense of community present in a large building.

2016
Location: Zurich, Switzerland
Programme: 140 apartments, crèche, retail and service areas
Client: Baugenossenschaft Oberstrass BGO Zurich
Gross floor area: 14,700 m2
Construction costs: CHF 80.0 million
Competition with selection procedure, 2016
Project status: Not built